The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the launch of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Matchmaker platform earlier today, June 27.

The SAF Matchmaker was created to simplify SAF procurement between airlines and producers by matching supply requests with offers. Once a match is found, airlines and suppliers can directly negotiate terms such as pricing and payment arrangements.

According to Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s chief economist and senior vice-president for sustainability:

“To reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, we need an accessible, transparent, liquid, and efficient SAF market. The SAF Matchmaker is another example of the work that IATA is putting in place to create a fully functioning market for SAF. The SAF Matchmaker platform will accelerate the uptake of SAF by reducing the costs and complexity that airlines face when searching for SAF suppliers.”

How Does It Work?

The SAF Matchmaker accommodates both spot purchases and offtake agreements and is currently designated for use by airlines and SAF suppliers. In the future, other buyers of SAF, including those from sectors outside aviation, will also be able to join.

This innovative matching service is hosted on the Aviation Energy Hub, a centralized digital platform aimed at providing valuable resources for energy management in aviation.

Addressing Key Concerns

The SAF Matchmaker tackles three main issues:

1. Efficiency: A central platform facilitates faster connections between parties without incurring extra fees, aiding the voluntary SAF purchasing market growth.
2. Connectivity: Producers can list available SAF volumes while airlines express interest in purchasing, allowing for trades to occur outside the platform after initial connections.
3. Visibility: The platform offers detailed insights on SAF availability, including volumes, production methods, emissions reductions, and compliance with regulations like CORSIA and EU RED.